Flite Fest West?
- Thread starter B3nih4n4
- Start date
Mad_Mechanic
Well-known member
I too am curious about this. If they did another one in Vallejo again, that would only be a couple hours drive for me. 
CheckMySix
Well-known member
I really think they should do a flitefest in Arizona on the winter. Phoenix metro area. We have some clubs out here and others. Winter is our time. 65° highs Dec through March and not a lot of rain. Some good places to fly to whether it's an association up by Adobe dam in North Phoenix or plenty of places that would likely help out with some sponser/s help. Could be pretty sweet!
I too am curious about this. If they did another one in Vallejo again, that would only be a couple hours drive for me.
Problem with Vallejo is that the Fairgrounds have been demolished and a housing/retail development is going in, in its place. I wouldn't have minded it happening there either, because my in laws live in Concord - my wife and I could drive up, and she could visit with them while I went flying. Unfortunately, that's no longer an option.
There's a place my club found last weekend, out in Julian, called Butterfield Ranch RV Resort that might be ideal - it's an RV resort, with an abandoned airstrip literally right across the road. You've got your camping spots, RV spots, a HUGE area for the RC pilots to go fly at, and we wouldn't have to worry about flying into restricted airspace.
I'd think it would have to be set up at something like Superstition Airpark, on the northeast end of Phoenix. Question there, as it is with larger "events" in metro areas like Phoenix, is whether they'd allow something like that without a lot of permits.
Our club had looked into doing a Joe Nall type event at our field, until we found out that the city said we'd have to have a ton of porta pottis, food permits for vendors, an event permit (for which the price would vary depending on how many people we expected to have onsite), event liability insurance prior to applying for the permit...Lots of little things that had to be put into effect, and for the amount of people we expected and what we knew we could safely handle at our field, it was cost prohibitive.
Things might go a little easier in Phoenix, but you do need to ask whether there's a venue that could support 300 or so people, build tents, vendors, food trucks, allow onsite camping, AND won't be impacted for flying. Those things have been on my mind for suggesting a FFW venue, as to where it could potentially be held.
SquirrelTail
Legendary member
I have found on average the fee is 20-40 dollars for a 3-4 day event.
CheckMySix
Well-known member
Some good points. I might make some inquiries with ASU west campus. They let us fly in the huge parking lot and field on the south east side of the campus. A lot of room there even with covered parking at the south end of the lot. Would be perfect for vendor tents. I just image the guys I fly out there with wouldn't be to thrilled with losing the lot for a weekend lol. Could totally work the. The field around there is about as big or bigger than then one they have at the Ohio Flite Fest field. ASU does do community based events. May even be easier to deal with than the city, or harder. Who knows. 😛😁
We all park at the north east corner of lot 20. Lot 3 is the covered parking. Lots of space and vendors wouldn't even need tents really. Huge fields for the great air way. Only down side is your killed plane might end up in a palo Verde tree or hit one of the many Jack Rabbits that roam the fields lol.
Attachments
That POTENTIALLY could work; the downside is that most likely they're not gonna allow any camping. That means having to shut down flying at a set time and forcing everyone off the grounds until the next day. I did a quick search to see if I could locate some nearby campgrounds, and it seems to be a little lacking.
Have you guys ever done a fly-in or other event there at the ASU campus? If so, how hard was it to organize it?
danskis
Master member
I don't know if this helps but take a look.
https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/t...g-to-az-in-the-fall-amps-rc-field-glendale-az
https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/t...g-to-az-in-the-fall-amps-rc-field-glendale-az
Aviator08
Flagstaff,AZ
The Flagstaff Flyers hosts a fun fly event each year the last weekend of July. Not nearly as big as Flite Fest, but we still have a lot of fun. If your looking for something in the AZ area, come join the fun just outside of Flagstaff. This is an AMA sanctioned event. Details @ flagstaffflyers.com.
Hoomi
Master member
One potentially good location for a southwest venue, would be the Pima County Fairgrounds just outside of Tucson, Arizona. There is an RC club flying field adjacent to the fairgrounds, plus lots of areas for camping, vendors, etc. The location is convenient to Interstate 10, but not so close as to present any real potential for stray aircraft to wind up in traffic, and the grounds are mostly surrounded by open desert.
I've heard rumors that the club that flies on that field is folding, but I haven't verified this. I doubt, though, that the field will just disappear.
I've heard rumors that the club that flies on that field is folding, but I haven't verified this. I doubt, though, that the field will just disappear.
CheckMySix
Well-known member
So, this is the ASU west campus at 43rd and tbird. Lots of trailer parks around and parks you could RV at. It's a huge lot there and field so with the right coordination with ASU people it's possible something could be worked out. Plenty of reasonable hotels within 10 minutes of the site. I would be willing to start serious research if FT staff showed a serious interest. There are some club sites in the area as well that could support camping. ASU does have a history of being community based and willing to work with events not related to just school.
CheckMySix
Well-known member
Yea, I was thinking more Phoenix area just due to population..right. But, the old Pueblo is beautiful in the winter as well.
Hoomi
Master member
But... but... when I got to Tucson nearly 27 years ago, my new coworkers insisted the Sun Devils were evil incarnate!
Here's the Pima County Fairgrounds. The flying field is at the bottom of the image. The grounds have a number of buildings that would be good if they wanted vendor space, crafting areas, etc. Just off the entrance from E. Brekke Rd. is RV space, and all that striped area just right of the grounds is parking. They also manage parking in the open field space towards Harrison Rd. IIRC, the fairgrounds are also far enough out, that they are outside the FAA No Fly Zones for drones. Between Tucson International, Davis-Monthan AFB, a couple of smaller municipal airports, and the myriads of helipads associated with hospitals and such, most of the Tucson Metro is one big no-fly zone.
Side tours to the Pima Air and Space Museum and the DMAFB "Boneyard" would definitely be a bonus activity for visitors. PASM is a pretty awesome air museum, benefitting from its proximity to the Boneyward.
Of course, if we really wanted to have some fun, we could see about taking over the drag strip as a runway. It could handle some pretty large airplanes.
Hoomi
Master member
I decided to check on the rumors. No update since early January, but at that time, it was undecided if the County was going to renew the club's lease for the use of the property.
That would beg the question if the County, having unspecified issues with renewing the lease for a club that has been using the property for nearly 30 years, would be willing to even discuss approving a big event hosted at the property, with or without a host club actively maintaining the field.
Southern Arizona Modelers R/C Club in Limbo
That would beg the question if the County, having unspecified issues with renewing the lease for a club that has been using the property for nearly 30 years, would be willing to even discuss approving a big event hosted at the property, with or without a host club actively maintaining the field.
Southern Arizona Modelers R/C Club in Limbo
Captain Jay
Elite member
Must be nice to have such a nice place to fly and a paved runway... sweet!!!But... but... when I got to Tucson nearly 27 years ago, my new coworkers insisted the Sun Devils were evil incarnate!
Here's the Pima County Fairgrounds. The flying field is at the bottom of the image. The grounds have a number of buildings that would be good if they wanted vendor space, crafting areas, etc. Just off the entrance from E. Brekke Rd. is RV space, and all that striped area just right of the grounds is parking. They also manage parking in the open field space towards Harrison Rd. IIRC, the fairgrounds are also far enough out, that they are outside the FAA No Fly Zones for drones. Between Tucson International, Davis-Monthan AFB, a couple of smaller municipal airports, and the myriads of helipads associated with hospitals and such, most of the Tucson Metro is one big no-fly zone.
Side tours to the Pima Air and Space Museum and the DMAFB "Boneyard" would definitely be a bonus activity for visitors. PASM is a pretty awesome air museum, benefitting from its proximity to the Boneyward.
Of course, if we really wanted to have some fun, we could see about taking over the drag strip as a runway. It could handle some pretty large airplanes.
View attachment 160355
Hoomi
Master member
Well, for those that were in the Southern Arizona Modelers, I'm sure it was.
Was being the operative word. According the SAM website, they had their final farewell fly-in at the site on February 24th. They are now in the process of trying to find a new place for their club to fly.
I fly with Southern Arizona Gliders and Electrics, out of the SAGE field in Marana. Our runway is scraped dirt. Mind you, I'm not complaining. The trade-off is, it keeps club expenses much lower than maintaining a paved runway.
